Temple University Hospital and St. Luke’s University Health Network Formally Announce Strategic Partnership for Four Transplant Services

(Philadelphia, PA) – Temple University Hospital (TUH) and St. Luke’s University Health Network are formally announcing a strategic partnership for transplant services that will streamline coordination of care and minimize the amount of travel required by patients in St. Luke’s vicinity.

The partnership covers heart, bone marrow, liver and kidney transplant. It allows patients to attend pre- and post-transplant appointments with an appropriate Temple or St. Luke’s physician, as well as related diagnostic tests, at a convenient location on-site at St. Luke’s.

Patients will receive pre-transplant screening and care at St. Luke’s under the direction of both St. Luke’s and Temple physicians. If approved for transplant, patients can be referred to TUH for required pre-transplant testing as well as their transplant surgery. Once discharged from TUH, patients will receive post-transplant care back at St. Luke’s.

“We are proud to announce this partnership with St. Luke’s University Health Network, which brings the skills and expertise of Temple’s transplant team to patients in the Lehigh Valley,” says Verdi J. DiSesa, MD, MBA, President and CEO of Temple University Hospital, Senior Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) and Chief Operating Officer of Temple University Health System. “This will provide a continuity of care for patients from pre-transplant evaluation through post-transplant follow up visits, and afford them access to more services in a convenient location.”

“Our collaboration with Temple will enable us to provide our patients with access to innovative transplant treatments that are not found at most hospitals. We look forward to working with Temple,” says Dr. Jeffrey Jahre, Senior Vice President of Medical and Academic Affairs for St. Luke’s University Health Network.

Media Contact:

Jeremy Walter, 267-838-0398, Jeremy.Walter@tuhs.temple.edu

About Temple Health

Temple University Health System (TUHS) is a $1.8 billion academic health system dedicated to providing access to quality patient care and supporting excellence in medical education and research. The Health System consists of Temple University Hospital (TUH), ranked among the “Best Hospitals” in the region by U.S. News & World Report; TUH-Episcopal Campus; TUH-Northeastern Campus; Fox Chase Cancer Center, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center; Jeanes Hospital, a community-based hospital offering medical, surgical and emergency services; Temple Transport Team, a ground and air-ambulance company; and Temple Physicians, Inc., a network of community-based specialty and primary-care physician practices. TUHS is affiliated with the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, and Temple University Physicians, which is Temple Health’s physician practice plan comprised of more than 500 full-time and part-time academic physicians in 20 clinical departments. The Lewis Katz School of Medicine (LKSOM), established in 1901, is one of the nation’s leading medical schools. Each year, the School of Medicine educates approximately 840 medical students and 140 graduate students. Based on its level of funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Katz School of Medicine is the second-highest ranked medical school in Philadelphia and the third-highest in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. According to U.S. News & World Report, LKSOM is among the top 10 most applied-to medical schools in the nation.

Temple Health refers to the health, education and research activities carried out by the affiliates of Temple University Health System (TUHS) and by the Katz School of Medicine. TUHS neither provides nor controls the provision of health care. All health care is provided by its member organizations or independent health care providers affiliated with TUHS member organizations. Each TUHS member organization is owned and operated pursuant to its governing documents.

About St. Luke’s

Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a non-profit, regional, fully integrated and nationally recognized network providing services at seven hospitals and more than 270 outpatient sites. The network’s service area includes Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania and in Warren County in New Jersey. Dedicated to advancing health education, St. Luke’s operates the nation’s oldest School of Nursing and 23 graduate medical educational programs and is considered a major teaching hospital, the only one in the region. In partnership with Temple University, St. Luke’s created the region’s first Medical School. Repeatedly, including 2017, St. Luke’s has earned Truven’s 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation as well as 50 Top Cardiovascular program in addition to other honors for clinical excellence. St. Luke’s is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of St. Luke’s information technology applications such as electronic medical records, telehealth, online scheduling and pricing information. St. Luke’s is also recognized as one of the state’s lowest cost providers in comparison to major teaching hospitals and other health systems.